Home Made Pretzels | Pretzel Bites | Pretzel Recipe | The Keenan Cookbook | The Keenan Cookbook (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient which makes a pretzel taste like a pretzel? ›

Lye. The dough is simple; take a basic yeast-risen dough that can be readied in an afternoon. But the trick to great pretzels is dipping the pretzels in a liquid wash before baking — and not just any wash, but a combination of water and lye. That's what gives pretzels their terrific color, texture and flavor.

Bake in your pre-heated 350° oven for 4-6 minutes, just enough to heat the pretzel through completely, and to dry the salt adhering to the tops. Serve immediately for a crisp crust and tender center crumb freshness.

Microwave on HIGH as suggested below until warm. Cooking Times (Due to differences in ovens heating instructions may need to be adjusted). Number of Bites: Microwave: 1 serving (3 bites): 30-40 seconds; 2 servings (6 bites): 55-60 seconds; Full Box: 2 minutes; 20 seconds. Conventional or Toaster Oven: 1.

Our Original Pretzel only contains 5 grams of fat, and, yes, it is lightly dipped in butter. Since Auntie Anne's Pretzels are made fresh in our stores, you can request your pretzel without butter for a lower calorie option or order your pretzel without salt.

Traditional Bavarian pretzels are dipped in a lye solution before they are baked. Lye, also known as sodium hydroxide, is essentially the same stuff that's used to make soap and clean drains. It can even dissolve glass.

Lye is primarily used to make pretzels, and it's the reason for their unmistakable shiny, mahogany color. To prepare, shaped pretzels are dipped in a lye bath, then baked in the oven. This method can also be used with rolls or buns. Once lye-dipped pretzels are baked, they're totally safe (and delicious!) to eat.

Wrap the Pretzels in a dish cloth and put them in a plastic container or put them directly in a paper bag - in both cases store the Pretzels a cool place. There is no way to have "fresh" Pretzels the next day without baking them again for a short time (after wetting the Pretzel a bit).

A: Simple. Wet your fingers and moisten the surface of the pretzel. Sprinkle salt immediately and it will stick.

The boiling water + baking soda is important for color and texture of pretzel. Baking soda raises pH, thus creating a basic solution. This help the browning process during baking, which will occur more in basic pH. Thus, producing the desired flavor and brown color of pretzel.

Keep it in a paper bag

Finally, you can always keep your handmade pretzels in a paper bag. Paper bags are preferable to plastic bags, as these allow the moisture to escape. Keep in mind, though, that with a paper bag your pretzels may become stale more quickly than by freezing them or placing them in a bread box.

How long to bake frozen pretzel bites? ›

When ready to eat, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place on a baking sheet and bake from frozen for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through. Alternatively, you can microwave pretzel bites but they tend to get a little soggy.

All those pretzels are made and twisted on the spot.

Auntie Anne's definitely doesn't serve pre-made pretzels! Every location receives shipments of the signature flour mixture, which is put in a mixer along with water and yeast. They're baked, brushed with real butter, salted and served right there.

While dough is rising, prepare a baking soda water bath with 2 cups warm water and 2 tbsp baking soda. Be certain to stir often. After dough has risen, pinch off bits of dough and roll into a long rope (about 1/2 inch or less thick) and shape. Dip pretzel in soda solution and place on greased baking sheet.

Wetzel's Pretzels was founded in 1994 and is based mainly in California, with few stores out-of-state. Auntie Anne's on the other hand, was founded in 1988 in Pennsylvania, and remains the nationally recognized brand.

Pretzel Dog Packages

Our classic Auntie Anne's Pretzel dough wrapped around a Nathan's Famous^®, all beef hot dog. Individually wrapped and available by the dozen.

In the state of Bavaria, pretzels are more evenly formed and soft all over, with arms just about as thick as their belly. Before baking, however, they are all dipped in lye, a sodium hydroxide solution that gives them their glossy, chestnut brown crust and unmistakable alkali flavor.

They're Boiled, Not Baked.

The dough is first shaped into a long rope and then boiled in water before being baked at a higher temperature than bread. This process creates a distinctive pretzel shape and gives them their unique taste.

After removing other scent molecules individually, the researchers found two molecules that are essential to the unique pretzel scent: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which has a roasted smell, and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, which has a caramel smell.